Current optical communication systems may be classified into two detection types: direct detection and coherent detection. In a direct detection system, data may be modulated using either the magnitude or the phase of the optical signal. In a coherent detection system, data may be modulated using both the magnitude and the phase of the signal, thus allowing greater data transmission rates. As the demand for higher transmission rates increases, data streams may also be modulated using multiple polarizations of optical signals. However, as the optical signals pass through optical links, they may be subject to distortion caused by chromatic dispersion, polarization dependent impairment, noise, and other factors. Such distortion may affect the reception of the polarized optical signals and may increase the difficulty in distinguishing between the different polarized optical signals.